Teleological explanation and positive emotion serially mediate the effect of religion on well‐being

Objective: Previous research has demonstrated a robust relationship between religion and well‐being, and it has been proposed that positive emotions are important mediators of this effect. Yet the mechanism via which religion promotes positive emotions has not been widely studied. We sought to examine whether teleological explanations of daily events and resulting positive emotions serially mediated the effects of religion on well‐being. Method: These hypotheses were tested over three studies. In study 1, participants completed measures of religiousness and well‐being, and explained and described three recent personally significant events and their resulting emotions. Studies 2 and 3 adopted an ecological momentary assessment approach to measure teleological explanations, resulting emotions, and well‐being in almost real time. Results: In study 1, teleological explanations and positive emotions serially mediated the effects of religiousness on well‐being. In study 2, momentary teleological explanations of daily events mediated the positive relationship between religiousness and momentary positive emotions. In Study 3, serial mediation of the relationship between religiousness and momentary well‐being by momentary teleological explanations and positive emotions was observed. Conclusions: These results provide evidence of the importance of teleological explanations of daily events in religious enhancement of well‐being

When does priming justice promote forgiveness? On the importance of distributive and procedural justice for self and others

Two studies show that thinking about justice can both enhance and impede forgiveness, depending on whether thoughts about distributive and procedural justice for self and others are activated. In Study 1 (n = 197), participants expressed more forgiveness towards a prior transgressor when primed to think about justice for self or procedural justice for others, and less forgiveness when primed to think about distributive justice for others. Study 2 (n = 231) used an alternate priming method and replicated these effects by inducing an interpersonal transgression and measuring forgiveness intentions, emotions and behavior. Study 2 also showed that priming justice influences forgiveness especially when the perceived severity of an interpersonal offense is high. The current research shows that activating justice cognitions can enhance or impinge on forgiveness in predictable ways. We discuss contributions to emerging justice theory, potential implications, and future directions

Coordinated action, communication and creativity in basketball in superdiversity

This paper examines the complex social space of basketball training sessions at a sports centre in superdiverse inner-city Leeds, contextualising the site in relation to stigmatising discourses that suggest disorderliness and a lack of social cohesion. The microanalysis of video data from the training sessions counteracts these discourses by showing how social orderliness, cooperation, and creativity unfold in the details of interaction. The significance of its contribution lies in its analysis of communication that bridges across semiotic modes, extending the concept of translanguaging to encompass embodied practice. This practice contributes to constituting a small culture within the basketball club

Physical and mental health correlates of status incongruence

The report explored the relationship between status incongruence, the degree of similarity of rankings on paired status variables, and diverse interview-based measures of physical and mental health. The subjects in the study were some 169 adult men; one half of them came from a national survey sample, while the other half represented an arthritis clinic sample with patients and controls. Data on education, occupation, income, and perceived social class (PSC) were used to construct several status incongruence indices. The major findings were: 1. Neither rheumatoid arthritis nor ulcer were related to status incongruence. 2. Education-occupation incongruence showed by far the strongest association with poor mental health. Among the two types of incongruence, education > occupation and occupation > education, the former had particularly poor mental health. 3. Education-PSC, occupation-PSC, education-income, and occupation-income types of incongruence showed weaker associations. Direction of incongruence made a difference in the education-PSC comparison: the education > PSC incongruent group had poorer mental health than the PSC > education incongruent group. Ce rapport étudie la relation entre la discordance du status («status incongruence»), le degré de similitude d'évaluation de variables couplées du status et diverses mesures de la santé physique et mentale basées sur des interviews. Les sujets de l'étude étaient 169 hommes adultes dont la moitié provenait d'un échantillon d'une investigation nationale, tandis que l'autre moitié représentait un échantillon d'une clinique d'arthritiques avec des patients et des cas de contrôle. Des données sur l'éducation, l'occupation, le revenu et la classe sociale (perceived social class = PSC) furent utilisées pour l'élaboration de divers indices de discordance de status. Les résultats principaux furent: 1) Ni l'arthrite rhumatoïde ni l'ulcère n'étaient reliés à la discordance du status. 2) La discordance éducation-occupation était de loin la plus étroitement associée à une santé mentale défaillante. Parmi les deux types de discordance, éducation > occupation et occupation > éducation, le premier était caractérisé par une santé mentale particulièrement mauvaise. 3) Les types de discordance éducation-PSC, occupation-PSC, éducation-revenu et occupationrevenu étaient plus faiblement associés. La direction de la discordance faisait une différence dans la comparaison éducationPSC: le groupe de discordance éducation > PSC se distinguait par une santé mentale moins bonne que le groupe de discordance PSC > éducation. Der Bericht gibt die Untersuchung der Beziehung zwischen der Unausgeglichenheit innerhalb des Sozialstands, dem Ausmaß der Ähnlichkeit von Einstufungen durch vorgegebene Gegensatzpaare von Statusmerkmalen und verschiedenen, auf Interviewbasis begründeten Einschätzungen der körperlichen und seelischen Gesundheit wieder. Die Probanden der Studie waren 169 erwachsene Männer; die Hälfte von ihnen stammte aus einer staatlichen Begutachtungsgruppe, die andere Hälfte verkörperten Patienten und Kontrollpersonen aus einer Arthritisklinik. Daten über Erziehung, Beruf, Einkommen und beurteilte Sozialklasse (perceived social class = PSC) wurden verwandt, um mehrere Indices für Statusinkongruenz zu bilden. Die Hauptergebnisse waren: 1) Weder rheumatische Arthritis noch Ulcus standen in Beziehung mit Statusinkongruenz. 2) Ein Mißverhältnis zwischen Erziehung und Beruf zeigte bei weitem die engste Beziehung zu schlechter seelischer Gesundheit. Von den beiden Inkongruenztypen, Erziehung > Beruf und Beruf > Erziehung, hatte der erste eine besonders schlechte seelische Gesundheit. 3) Mißverhältnisse zwischen Erziehung und PSC, Beruf und PSC, Erziehung und Einkommen und Beruf und Einkommen zeigten schwächere Beziehungen. Die Richtung der Inkongruenz bewirkte einen Unterschied im Vergleich zwischen Erziehung und PSC: die inkongruente Gruppe Erziehung > PSC war bei schlechterer seelischer Gesundheit als die inkongruente Gruppe PSC > Erziehung.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/41742/1/127_2004_Article_BF00584107.pd

Thrombospondin-1 Contributes to Mortality in Murine Sepsis through Effects on Innate Immunity

BACKGROUND:Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is involved in many biological processes, including immune and tissue injury response, but its role in sepsis is unknown. Cell surface expression of TSP-1 on platelets is increased in sepsis and could activate the anti-inflammatory cytokine transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ1) affecting outcome. Because of these observations we sought to determine the importance of TSP-1 in sepsis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We performed studies on TSP-1 null and wild type (WT) C57BL/6J mice to determine the importance of TSP-1 in sepsis. We utilized the cecal ligation puncture (CLP) and intraperitoneal E. coli injection (i.p. E. coli) models of peritoneal sepsis. Additionally, bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were used to determine phagocytic activity. TSP-1-/- animals experienced lower mortality than WT mice after CLP. Tissue and peritoneal lavage TGFβ1 levels were unchanged between animals of each genotype. In addition, there is no difference between the levels of major innate cytokines between the two groups of animals. PLF from WT mice contained a greater bacterial load than TSP-1-/- mice after CLP. The survival advantage for TSP-1-/- animals persisted when i.p. E. coli injections were performed. TSP-1-/- BMMs had increased phagocytic capacity compared to WT. CONCLUSIONS:TSP-1 deficiency was protective in two murine models of peritoneal sepsis, independent of TGFβ1 activation. Our studies suggest TSP-1 expression is associated with decreased phagocytosis and possibly bacterial clearance, leading to increased peritoneal inflammation and mortality in WT mice. These data support the contention that TSP-1 should be more fully explored in the human condition

Primjena i kompozicija individualiziranih zaštitnih elemenata linijske grafike u projektiranju novčanica

Proces stvaranja novčanica je dugotrajan i složen, što rezultira kompleksnim rješenjima koja predstavljaju pravo remek djelo grafike. Novčanice su prožete brojnim detaljima i prenose različite informacije koje se analiziraju u teorijskom dijelu rada. Prvotno se postavljaju kriteriji po kojima se izrađuje detaljna analiza velikog broja zaštitnih i konceptualnih elemenata na primjerima novčanica. Time je prikazan okvirni povijesni pregled razvoja novčanica i utjecaji kojima je bio izložen. Analizira se međuovisnost dizajna o sigurnosnim značajkama, te se ispituje razina informiranosti javnosti o zaštitama na novčanicama. Zaključuje se koje metode zaštite su najučinkovitije, te kako šira javnost najčešće provjerava autentičnost novčanica. U eksperimentalnom dijelu rada se na temelju donesenih zaključaka iz teorijskog dijela izrađuje prototip novčanice koja je u najvećoj mjeri prožeta individualiziranim PostScript programskim rješenjima elemenata linijske grafike (rozete, mikrotekst, zaštitne linije, brojevi apoena), a od ostalih zaštita modeliran je individualizirani raster transformacijom matematičkog izraza u PostScript programski kod. Sve ostale zaštite tipične za novčanice simulirane su alatima za rastersku i vektorsku grafiku. U radu se ispituje utjecaj kompozicije zaštitnih elemenata na prepoznavanje autentičnosti novčanica, te efikasnost samih individualiziranih programskih rješenja